Today we had crêpes for breakfast. At the Assembly the students listened to the Academy hymn they composed earlier in the program on the music of “La Marseillaise,” the French National Anthem. It was their first time discovering what the other groups had written and sung and we all loved it. They also looked at the pictures we took yesterday of our visits to the Nantes river islands: Isle of Versailles and Isle of Trentemoult.

They then headed to their respective language classes to discuss national holidays and cultural traditions. They debated cultural differences and participated in grammatical relays before listing their favorite words in French, as well as the most difficult ones to learn. Lunch was followed by some free time to relax on campus before the students headed to the Jardin des Plantes (Nantes’ botanical garden) with the RAs, to discover the greenhouses, roam around and play some games among the trees.

When they get back to Blanche de Castille they will participate in a variety of activities, from sports, to karaoke in French and board games. Dinner will be followed by a night of music and dance let by a Breton artist.